Intermediaries in sustainability transitions – differences and similarities of relevance for policy

• Sustainability transitions require changes in existing socio-technological systems. Authors have underlined the relevance of intermediaries in the design and implementation of policies intended to facilitate sustainability transition. Still, in the literature, the organizations or actors empirically examined as intermediaries are very diverse and the concept of intermediary is used interchangeably from context to context. There is a risk that policy makers face difficulties understanding differences among intermediaries. As a consequence, some intermediaries may be used for unfitting or unrealistic purposes. In this paper, we propose to identify the similarities and differences among intermediaries, which are relevant for policy design. We base our comparison on three main characteristics: intermediaries’ ownership and funding, their scope of action and the target recipients of their services. What emerged from our findings is that differences matter for intermediaries’ short-term or long-term orientation, actor-level or system-level focus, and demand-side or supply-side target. We end the paper by discussing the implications for policy design.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Naturresursteknik -- Miljöledning (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Environmental Engineering -- Environmental Management (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Intermediaries; Sustainability transitions; Transition policy; Eco-innovations; Renewable Energy Technology

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